ire'ne lara silva facts for kids

Ire'ne Lara Silva
Silva at the 2016 Texas Book Festival.
Genre	Poetry/Fiction
Notable awards	NALAC Grant Alfredo Cisneros del Moral Award AROHO Fiction Finalist Gloria Anzaldúa Milagro Award

Ire'ne Lara Silva is a talented poet and writer from Austin, Texas. She writes about important ideas, often focusing on how Indigenous cultures survive and stay strong. Her parents worked as migrant farmworkers, meaning they traveled to different places for work.

Silva has written many poems and a collection of short stories. Her short story book won a special award called the Premio Aztlán Literary Prize in 2013. She believes it's important to learn from the past and use that knowledge to make ourselves stronger.

Early Life and Family

Silva grew up in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas. Her parents were migrant farmworkers. This meant her family moved a lot for work.

They traveled from South Texas to places like Mathis, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and the Panhandle. Then they would return to South Texas.

Becoming a Writer

Ire'ne Lara Silva has written several books of poetry. She has also published a collection of short stories. Her work has appeared in many different literary magazines. These include Acentos Review and Pilgrimage.

Her poems and stories have also been featured in anthologies. Anthologies are books that collect writings from different authors. Some of these include Improbable Worlds and The Weight of Addition.

In 2016, her poetry collection called blood sugar canto was released. Silva also helped edit a book called IMANIMAN. This book explored the ideas of another important writer, Gloria Anzaldúa.

Awards and Recognition

Silva's first full-length poetry book, furia, received an honorable mention. This was for the 2011 International Latino Book Award. Her short story collection, flesh to bone, won the 2013 Premio Aztlán Literary Prize. It was also a finalist for other awards.

She received the 2014 Alfredo Cisneros del Moral Award. In 2008, she won the Gloria Anzaldúa Milagro Award. Silva was also one of the first people to join the CantoMundo Writers Conference.

From 2004 to 2008, Silva was a leader at the Macondo Writers Workshop. This workshop was started by the famous writer Sandra Cisneros. She also helped direct the Flor De Nopal Literary Festival.

Published Works

Poetry Collections

• ani'mal, La Loba Press, (2001), reprinted Axoquentlatoa Press, (2010)
• INDíGENA, La Loba Press, (2001), reprinted Axoquentlatoa Press, (2010)
• furia, London: Mouthfeel Press, (2010)
• Enduring Azucares, Little Rock: Sibling Rivalry Press, (2015)
• blood sugar canto, Hilo: Saddle Road Press (2016)
• Cuicacalli / House of Song, Saddle Road Press, 2019

Short Story Collection

• flesh to bone, San Francisco: Aunt Lute Books, (2013)

As Editor

• IMANIMAN: Poets Reflect on Transformative & Transgressive Borders Through Gloria Anzaldúa's Work, with Dan Vera and an introduction by United States Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera